Ladder Polymer Semiconductors for Electronics

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ABSTRACTPI: Samson A. Jenekhe Institution: University of WashingtonProposal Number: 0437912Research: The performance of current polymer electronic devices, such as thin film transistors, photovoltaic cells, and photodetectors, is limited primarily by the low charge carrier mobilities of current materials. The overall goal of this research is to develop next generation high carrier mobility polymer and hybrid organic-inorganic semiconductors and explore their device applications in electronics. The research is based in part on the principal investigator's (PI's) recent discovery of high electron mobility in spin coated, nanocrystalline, thin films of a conjugated ladder polymer. The planned research will: (i) develop new ladder polymer semiconductors having field-effect mobility of electrons exceeding 1 cm2/Vs; (ii) synthesize and develop new organic-inorganic hybrid semiconductors with carrier mobility exceeding 10 cm2/Vs; (iii) establish the relationships between charge carrier mobility and molecular structure and solid state morphology of polymer and hybrid organic-inorganic semiconductors; and (iv) explore the new high mobility ladder polymer and organic-inorganic hybrid semiconductors in field-effect transistors and photovoltaic cells. Broader Impacts: Polymers having high electron mobility will be useful for developing all-plastic complementary integrated circuits for logic and memory functions and for improving the efficiency of plastic solar cells. These advances could have major impact in accelerating the emerging era of plastic electronics for applications in many areas of information technologies and in portable power sources. The PI has developed courses on organic electronics and electronic and optoelectronic polymers that have been taken by graduate students in many fields including chemical engineering, chemistry, materials science, electrical engineering, bioengineering, physics, mechanical engineering, and forestry. The PI mentors several female and African American junior faculty in science and engineering at the University of Washington and other institutions. He is a consultant to a small start-up company interested in commercializing plastic electronics..